The present invention relates to a load-retaining system for a motor vehicle. More particularly this invention concerns such a system used in a station wagon, van, limousine, or the like to prevent relatively large pieces of freight like luggage or skis from moving about in the vehicle.
In German patent 195 13 215 of W. Sitzler a system is described for use in a motor vehicle having a seat back that can be moved from a vertical to a horizontal position. A mounting plate can be secured to the back of the seat when it is horizontal and in turn a special holding device, for instance for skis, can be mounted on it to allow a pair of skis to be solidly attached to the seat back so they do not move about in the vehicle when on the road. In another system a screen can have one end attached to a holding device secured to the holding plate and another edge secured in the vehicle to confine freight or pets in the back of the vehicle. To this end matable mounting formations are provided on the lower face of the mounting plate and on the upper face of the horizontal seat back, and further mounting formations are provided on the upper face of the mounting plate and on the device particularly fashioned to hold the freight in question.
The system of German utility model 93 11 587 is intended for use in a way-back compartment behind the rearmost seat. It has straps connected at front ends immediately behind the seat back and rear ends having clips that fit like a seat belt into fittings at the rear end or the compartment. Freight is secured underneath such belts which can be pulled tight to restrain the freight.
In German utility model 74 30 905 the entire floor of the luggage compartment is formed with a uniform array of upstanding pegs. Upstanding fittings can be clipped to these pegs at spacings set to confine a piece of freight. The system can be custom set for any particular size of object and will in effect form a good socket or seat for it.
In German utility model 297 11 198 a mounting plate is provided with complex clips that allow it to be mounted to and removed from a seat back. The mounting plate is adapted for many different functions and can carry a simple container, an end of a ski bag, or even a wall of a cooler.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved motor-vehicle load-retaining system.
Another object is the provision of such an improved motor-vehicle load-retaining system which overcomes the above-given disadvantages, that is which allows a particular type of load-holding or -confining device to be mounted at any of a multiplicity of different locations in a motor vehicle.
A motor vehicle having a freight compartment having a floor and a seat having a seat back with a rear seat-back surface movable between a vertical position and a horizontal position, a load-retaining system has according to the invention arrays of mounting formations on the floor and seat back. The formations of the arrays all are identically spaced within the respective arrays. A mounting plate has a bottom face formed with a plurality of mounting formations engageable in the mounting formations of the arrays and spaced identically to the mounting formations of the arrays. The mounting plate further has a top face formed with an array of mounting formations spaced identically to the mounting formations of the arrays. A device plate has a bottom face formed with a plurality of mounting formations engageable in the mounting formations of the arrays and of the mounting plate top face and a top face. A freight-holding device is fixed to the top face of the device plate.
Thus with the system according to the invention the device plate and its associated freight-holding device can be mounted at any of a plurality of locations inside the vehicle. It can be installed on the floor or on the seat back, greatly increasing the versatility of the system.
Each array on the floor has a number of formations that is substantially greater than a number of the formations on the bottom face of the mounting plate. Thus the device plate can be moved about at least on the floor so it can be installed at any of several different locations.
The mounting formations on the bottom face of the device plate in accordance with the invention are spaced identically to the mounting formations of the arrays. Furthermore the device plate has a pair of hinged-together parts forming the respective bottom and top faces and pivotal relative to each other. Thus if the seat back does not go into a perfectly horizontal position, the part forming the top surface can be hinged up and locked in place so it is horizontal.
The seat back according to the invention is formed with a recess having a base surface provided with the respective mounting formations. In addition the mounting formations of the floor and seat back and of the bottom face of the mounting plate are different from the mounting formations of the top face of the mounting plate and bottom face of the device plate.
Some of the mounting formations according to the invention are formed as cylindrical sockets and others of the mounting formations are formed as complementary cylindrical pins. In addition the pins are each formed with an outwardly open notch. The system further has according to the invention retaining formations on at least one of the plates laterally engageable in the notches to hold the plates in position. These retaining formations are all coupled to a common locking assembly on the one plate for joint movement between locking positions engaged in the respective notches and freeing positions clear of the respective notches. Thus by moving the common locking assembly the device plate can be unlatched from the mounting plate or the mounting plate can be unlatched from the seat back or floor.